Bad Witch

Last updated

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
"Over and Out"
The album's closer showcases the David Bowie influence
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Musically, Bad Witch is a concise album that utilizes aggressive instrumentation and vocals associated with industrial rock, [12] [13] and quieter, more somber music most prominent in the two instrumental tracks on the record. [14] Reznor employs a saxophone at multiple points on the album, [14] and occasionally sings in a different way to his normal manner, [15] with some critics comparing the style to Bowie's. [5] The album incorporates diverse sounds and instrumentation reminiscent of many genres and musical styles. [13] [16] Reznor's saxophone performances play a prominent role in the album, making the album distinct from previous releases by Nine Inch Nails. [13] The only song on the album to be released as a single is "God Break Down the Door". [17] [18] The album contains two instrumental songs, "Play the Goddamned Part" and "I'm Not from This World", respectively described as "a discordant, freeform jazz jam amidst clashing electronics" and "droning and hypnotic". [16] The album's sixth and final track, "Over and Out", begins as a relatively upbeat electronic song but ends as a protracted segment of white noise that concludes Bad Witch. [16] [19] This may be compared to the closing track of Add Violence (which precedes Bad Witch in the trilogy of releases), "The Background World", which ends on a repeated loop that is gradually compressed into white noise. [20]

Several critics have compared Bad Witch to Reznor and Ross' film scores. [5] [21] Others likened the album to Bowie's Blackstar (2016), [5] [19] [21] and some to Reznor's soundtrack for the 1996 video game Quake . [21]

Release

On June 22, 2018, the album was released to retailers worldwide. It entered on several international charts and at 12 on the Billboard 200. [22]

Critical reception

Bad Witch
Bad Witch (2018).jpg
Studio album by
Nine Inch Nails
ReleasedJune 22, 2018 (2018-06-22)
Genre Industrial rock
Length30:11
Label
Producer
Nine Inch Nails chronology
Add Violence
(2017)		Bad Witch
(2018)		 Ghosts V: Together
(2020)
Halo numbers chronology
Halo 31
(2017)		Halo 32
(2018)		 Halo 33
(2020)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.2/10 [23]
Metacritic 77/100 [24]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [21]
The A.V. Club B− [25]
Consequence of Sound B+ [26]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [27]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [28]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [29]
Pitchfork 8.0/10 [30]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [31]

Bad Witch received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 77, based on 23 reviews. [24] AllMusic's Neil Z. Yeung called the album "frustrating" but also "the most cohesive and enveloping experience of this period". [21] Terence Cawley of The Boston Globe gave Bad Witch a positive review, writing, "Reznor is still making records that crackle with restless energy. For an artist who once specialized in massive concept albums, the short-and-sweet approach of Bad Witch suits him well." [5] Writing for NME , Tom Connick gave the album a perfect score, calling it the band's best release in a decade. [28] The Independent 's Ilana Kaplan noted that despite being only thirty minutes long, the album was full of complexity and would probably be received as a sensory overload. [12] Writing for Q , George Garner considered the album an "excellent reprisal" of Nine Inch Nails' "industrial aggression", concluding that after thirty years, the band sounded reinvigorated. [13] Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic felt that Bad Witch does not reach the highs of 1992's Broken or 1994's The Downward Spiral , but it does not dishonor them either. [19] Drowned in Sound 's Christian Cottingham was more mixed on the album, criticizing it for relying too much on previous Nine Inch Nails sounds and material. [32] Sam Sodomsky of Pitchfork wrote, "For the first time in a long time, Reznor sounds like he's got his eye on the future." [30]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

No.TitleLength
1."Shit Mirror"3:06
2."Ahead of Ourselves"3:30
3."Play the Goddamned Part" (instrumental)4:51
4."God Break Down the Door"4:15
5."I'm Not from This World" (instrumental)6:41
6."Over and Out"7:48
Total length:30:11

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Bad Witch. [33]

Nine Inch Nails

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart (2018)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [34] 9
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [35] 16
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [36] 21
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [37] 24
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [38] 15
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) [39] 39
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [40] 43
French Albums (SNEP) [41] 37
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [42] 28
Greek Albums (IFPI) [43] 68
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) [44] 34
Irish Albums (IRMA) [45] 50
Italian Albums (FIMI) [46] 49
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [47] 43
New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ) [48] 4
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [49] 18
Scottish Albums (OCC) [50] 6
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [51] 31
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [52] 5
UK Albums (OCC) [53] 12
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [54] 1
US Billboard 200 [22] 12
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [55] 2
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [56] 2

Related Research Articles

<i>The Downward Spiral</i> 1994 studio album by Nine Inch Nails

The Downward Spiral is the second studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released on March 8, 1994, by Nothing Records in the United States and Island Records in Europe. It is a concept album detailing the self-destruction of a man from the beginning of his misanthropic "downward spiral" to his suicidal breaking point. The album was a commercial success and established Nine Inch Nails as a reputable force in the 1990s music scene, with its sound being widely imitated, and the band receiving media attention and multiple honors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nine Inch Nails</span> American industrial rock band

Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN, stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Its members are the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor and his frequent collaborator, Atticus Ross. Reznor was previously the only permanent member of the band until Ross was officialized in 2016. The band's debut album, Pretty Hate Machine (1989), was released via TVT Records. After disagreeing with TVT about how to promote the album, the band signed with Interscope Records and released the EP Broken (1992). The following albums, The Downward Spiral (1994) and The Fragile (1999), were released to critical acclaim and commercial success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trent Reznor</span> American musician (born 1965)

Michael Trent Reznor is an American musician. He came to prominence as the founder, lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and primary songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. The band's line-up has constantly changed, with Reznor being its only official member from its creation in 1988 until 2016, when he added English musician and frequent collaborator Atticus Ross as its second permanent member.

<i>And All That Could Have Been</i> 2002 live album by Nine Inch Nails

And All That Could Have Been is a double album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released on January 22, 2002, by Nothing and Interscope Records. The live album contains music recorded during the Fragility v2.0 US tour in 2000. Disc one is a live album of most of the band's normal set list of the time, while disc two contains a studio album titled Still, containing "deconstructed" versions of previous Nine Inch Nails songs and some new material. The double DVD set, sold separately, includes video recordings of the songs performed on the CD, as well as additional song performances and footage from the tour.

<i>The Fragile</i> 1999 album by Nine Inch Nails

The Fragile is the third studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released as a double album by Nothing Records and Interscope Records on September 21, 1999. It was produced by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and the English producer Alan Moulder, a longtime Reznor collaborator. It was recorded throughout 1997 to 1999 in New Orleans.

<i>With Teeth</i> 2005 studio album by Nine Inch Nails

With Teeth is the fourth studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released by Nothing Records and Interscope Records on May 3, 2005. The album was produced by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and long-time collaborator Alan Moulder. It also features contributions from musician Dave Grohl and future band member Atticus Ross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nine Inch Nails discography</span> Discography of industrial metal band Nine Inch Nails

American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails have released 11 studio albums, one live album, three remix albums, two compilation albums, six extended plays, 20 singles, 10 promotional singles, four video albums and 31 music videos. Nine Inch Nails has also contributed to numerous film soundtracks as well as the soundtrack to the video game Quake.

<i>Year Zero</i> (album) 2007 studio album by Nine Inch Nails

Year Zero is the fifth studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released by Interscope Records on April 17, 2007. Conceived while touring in support of the band's previous album, With Teeth (2005), the album was recorded in late 2006. It was produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, and was the band's first studio album since 1994's The Downward Spiral that was not co-produced by long-time collaborator Alan Moulder. It was the band's last album for Interscope, following Reznor's departure the same year due to a dispute regarding overseas pricing.

<i>Ghosts I–IV</i> 2008 studio album by Nine Inch Nails

Ghosts I–IV is the sixth studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released by The Null Corporation on March 2, 2008. It was the band's first independent release following their split from longtime label Interscope Records in 2007. The production team included Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, studio collaborators Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder, and contributions from Alessandro Cortini, Adrian Belew, and Brian Viglione.

<i>The Slip</i> (album) 2008 studio album by Nine Inch Nails

The Slip is the seventh studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released on May 5, 2008, digitally on the Nine Inch Nails website, and on CD on July 22 by The Null Corporation. It was their second release in 2008, following their sixth album Ghosts I–IV, released two months prior. The album was produced by frontman Trent Reznor with collaborators Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariqueen Maandig</span> American musician

Mariqueen Maandig Reznor is a Filipino-American singer, songwriter, and musician. She is the vocalist for How to Destroy Angels, and the former vocalist of Los Angeles–based rock band West Indian Girl.

<i>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</i> (soundtrack) 2011 film score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the score album for David Fincher's 2011 film of the same name, composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. It was released on December 9, 2011, through The Null Corporation in the US and Mute Records outside North America. This is the second soundtrack that Reznor and Ross have worked on together, following the Oscar-winning The Social Network, also for Fincher.

<i>Hesitation Marks</i> 2013 album by Nine Inch Nails

Hesitation Marks is the eighth studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released on August 30, 2013, by The Null Corporation and distributed by Columbia Records in the United States and Polydor Records elsewhere. It was the band's first release in five years, following The Slip (2008), as well as their only release on Columbia. Like previous albums, the album was produced by frontman Trent Reznor alongside longtime collaborators Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder. To date, this is the most recent Nine Inch Nails album to be co-produced by Moulder.

<i>Not the Actual Events</i> 2016 EP by Nine Inch Nails

Not the Actual Events is the third extended play (EP) and tenth major release by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. It was released physically on December 23, 2016, under Trent Reznor's own label The Null Corporation, while those who had pre-ordered received a download link a day early. The second Nine Inch Nails EP of original material following Broken (1992), it marks longtime collaborator Atticus Ross's first appearance as an official member of the band. The digital pre-orders included a "physical component" that was shipped in early March 2017. The EP is the first in a trilogy released in 2016–2018, preceding Add Violence (2017) and the band's ninth studio album Bad Witch (2018).

<i>Add Violence</i> 2017 EP by Nine Inch Nails

Add Violence is the fourth EP and eleventh major release by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Issued through the Null Corporation and Capitol Records on July 19, 2017, it is the second in a trilogy of releases, following the EP Not the Actual Events (2016) and preceding the band's ninth studio album Bad Witch (2018). It was produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

"God Break Down the Door" is a song by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, from their ninth studio album Bad Witch. It was released on May 17, 2018, coinciding with Trent Reznor's 53rd birthday. The song features Reznor playing the saxophone.

<i>Ghosts V: Together</i> 2020 studio album by Nine Inch Nails

Ghosts V: Together is the tenth studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. It was released as a free download on March 26, 2020, as a show of solidarity with the band's fans during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a follow-up to the 2008 instrumental album Ghosts I–IV, and released simultaneously with their eleventh album, Ghosts VI: Locusts.

<i>Ghosts VI: Locusts</i> 2020 studio album by Nine Inch Nails

Ghosts VI: Locusts is the eleventh studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. It was released as a free download on March 26, 2020, as a show of solidarity with the band's fans during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was released simultaneously with the tenth Nine Inch Nails album, Ghosts V: Together, and is the third release of the Ghosts series.

<i>Watchmen</i> (soundtrack) 2019 soundtrack album

Watchmen (Music from the HBO Series) is the original score for the HBO superhero drama limited series Watchmen, composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The score was released in three volumes on vinyl and digital services over the course of the series' broadcast in 2019, with Volume 1 on November 6, Volume 2 on November 27, and Volume 3 on December 18.

<i>If I Cant Have Love, I Want Power</i> 2021 studio album by Halsey

If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Halsey, released on August 27, 2021, by Capitol Records. Produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails, the album marked a departure from Halsey's previous work, featuring a heavy industrial influence, and was described by Halsey as a concept album about "the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth". It was her final album for Capitol, before she parted ways with the label in April 2023.

References

  1. ↑ Nine Inch Nails - Bad Witch Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic , retrieved October 31, 2023
  2. ↑ "Trent Reznor Announces Trilogy of Nine Inch Nails EPs". Rolling Stone . June 5, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  3. ↑ Young, Alex (March 15, 2018). "Nine Inch Nails to release new EP before the end of June". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Suskind, Alex (June 20, 2018). "Trent Reznor on the new Nine Inch Nails album, sobriety, and the perils of technology". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Cawley, Terence (June 20, 2018). "A short, not-at-all sweet dispatch from Nine Inch Nails". The Boston Globe . Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  6. ↑ Moore, Sam (July 13, 2017). "Trent Reznor says he doesn't know what the final part of Nine Inch Nails' EP trilogy will sound like". NME . Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  7. ↑ Cook-Wilson, Winston (May 10, 2018). "Nine Inch Nails Announce New Album Bad Witch, U.S. Tour With Jesus and Mary Chain". Spin . Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  8. ↑ Young, Alex (May 10, 2018). "Nine Inch Nails announce new album, Bad Witch". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  9. ↑ Pitchfork [@pitchfork] (May 10, 2018). "Update: A representative for NIN has confirmed that Bad Witch is an album, not an EP" (Tweet). Retrieved May 10, 2018– via Twitter.
  10. ↑ Reznor, Trent (teitan) (May 21, 2018). "Bad Witch LP – new album out 6/22/2018". Echoing the Sound. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  11. ↑ Young, Alex (May 21, 2018). "Trent Reznor explains why Nine Inch Nails' upcoming Bad Witch is considered an album". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  12. 1 2 3 Kaplan, Ilana; Hasted, Nick (June 20, 2018). "Album reviews: 5SOS, Bebe Rexha, Nine Inch Nails and more". The Independent . Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Garner, George (Summer 2018). "Nine Inch Nails: Bad Witch". Q . No. 387. p. 116. ISSN   0955-4955.
  14. 1 2 Coleman, Jonny (June 21, 2018). "Critic's Notebook: Trent Reznor Serves Up Sublime Soundscapes in Nine Inch Nails' 'Bad Witch'". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  15. ↑ Reed, Ryan (May 17, 2018). "Hear Nine Inch Nails' Menacing New Song 'God Break Down the Door'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  16. 1 2 3 Morton, Luke (June 21, 2018). "Nine Inch Nails – Bad Witch album review". Metal Hammer . Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  17. ↑ Schatz, Lake (May 17, 2018). "Nine Inch Nails unveil new song "God Break Down the Door": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  18. ↑ Daramola, Israel (May 17, 2018). "Nine Inch Nails – "God Break Down the Door"". Spin. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  19. 1 2 3 Kornhaber, Spencer (June 22, 2018). "Nine Inch Nails Enters Its Least Compromising Phase Yet". The Atlantic . Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  20. ↑ Collins, Sean T. "Nine Inch Nails: Add Violence EP Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 Yeung, Neil Z. "Bad Witch – Nine Inch Nails". AllMusic . Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  22. 1 2 "Nine Inch Nails Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Bad Witch by Nine Inch Nails reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  24. 1 2 "Bad Witch by Nine Inch Nails Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  25. ↑ Ryan, Kyle (June 22, 2018). "Nine Inch Nails, Bad Witch". The A.V. Club . Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  26. ↑ Camp, Zoe (June 29, 2018). "Nine Inch Nails Honor Their Roots While Marching Forward on Bad Witch". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  27. ↑ Chick, Stevie (August 2018). "Nine Inch Nails: Bad Witch". Mojo . No. 297. p. 88.
  28. 1 2 Connick, Tom (June 20, 2018). "Nine Inch Nails – 'Bad Witch' review". NME . Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  29. ↑ Mongredien, Phil (June 24, 2018). "Nine Inch Nails: Bad Witch review – an inventive, aggressive return". The Observer . Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  30. 1 2 Sodomsky, Sam (June 23, 2018). "Nine Inch Nails: Bad Witch". Pitchfork . Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  31. ↑ Goller, Josh (June 21, 2018). "Nine Inch Nails: Bad Witch". Slant Magazine . Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  32. ↑ Cottingham, Christian. "Nine Inch Nails – Bad Witch". Drowned in Sound . Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  33. ↑ Bad Witch (CD liner notes). Nine Inch Nails. The Null Corporation. 2018. B002836402.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  34. ↑ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. July 2, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Nine Inch Nails – Bad Witch" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  36. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Nine Inch Nails – Bad Witch" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  37. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Nine Inch Nails – Bad Witch" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Nine Inch Nails Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  39. ↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 26.Týden 2018 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  40. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Nine Inch Nails – Bad Witch" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  41. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Nine Inch Nails – Bad Witch". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  42. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Nine Inch Nails – Bad Witch" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  43. ↑ "Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Week: 27/2018)". IFPI Greece . Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  44. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2018. 26. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  45. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Nine Inch Nails". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  46. ↑ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 26 (dal 2018-06-22 al 2018-06-28)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  47. ↑ "オリコン週間 CDアルバムランキング（2018年06月18日～2018年06月24日" [Oricon weekly CD album index (18 June 2018 – 24 June 2018)]. Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  48. ↑ "NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. July 2, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  49. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Nine Inch Nails – Bad Witch". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  50. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  51. ↑ "Top 100 Albumes – Semana 26: del 22.6.2018 al 28.6.2018" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España . Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  52. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Nine Inch Nails – Bad Witch". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  53. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  54. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  55. ↑ "Nine Inch Nails Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  56. ↑ "Nine Inch Nails Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.